Capitol Bible Study: "Prophet, Priest, & King"

From this week's Bible study at the West Virginia state capitol:

These three great needs caused by sin are cared for by Christ’s fulfillment of prophet, priest, and king. Our ignorance is alleviated as Christ reveals and proclaims God and His word to us. Our guilt is taken away as Christ offered himself as the sacrifice for us and now intercedes on our behalf. And sin’s rule over our lives is broken as the King delivered us from the domain of sin and brought us into His kingdom (Col. 1:13). 

You can download the complete study here.

Capitol Bible Study: "How the Guilty Can Be Forgiven"

From this week's Bible study in the West Virginia capitol:

There are some important truths we must learn from the Bible’s emphasis on sacrifice. First, God is Holy. He is an infinitely Holy God, and an absolutely just judge. We have broken His law and hence, must be punished. As one writer said “Let us never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed, as in the greatness of the Person sinned against.” Secondly, sin is serious. We tend to minimize our sin (especially the ones that we commit). The fact that making sin right requires death shows us how serious sin really is. Finally, atonement is costly and requires the death of an innocent in place of the guilty.

We must trust in Christ’s righteousness alone. No one else can atone for our sins. If we want to find mercy, we must find it in Christ or we will not find it at all.

You can download the complete study here.

Capitol Bible Study: "The Key to Understanding the Bible: Seeing Jesus as the Story of the Scriptures"

From our first Bible study of the 2012 regular legislative session:

If we lose sight of the overall story or theme of the Bible, then we may begin to see the injunctions, commands, and exhortations of scripture (both Old and New Testaments) as standing alone rather than implications of the grace of God in Christ. As a result we begin to see the essence of Christianity as a matter of keeping the rules, of “being good”. The story of the Bible is that we cannot keep the rules. But Jesus did, suffering and dying for our sins so that when we repent and trust Him for salvation, our sins are forgiven and His goodness is credited to us. This is the story that is the key to understanding Bible.

You can download the complete study HERE.

Capitol Bible Study: "Promises, Promises"

From our interim Bible study in the West Virginia Capitol:

“A chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage.”

– 1928 Herbert Hoover Presidential Campaign

This may be perhaps one the best known campaign promises ever uttered. During the presidential campaign of 1928 a circular published claimed that if Herbert Hoover were elected, America would see this kind of prosperity. However, the stock market crash of 1929 plunged the country into the Great Depression. The American people lost confidence in Hoover and he failed to win a second term.

This is a great example pointing out the difficulty in making and keeping campaign promises. People wrongly believe politicians will say anything “just to get elected”. The reality is most candidates have the best of intentions when making statements regarding stands on issues and plans for serving in office. It is when faced with the challenges of leading and lawmaking, changes in circumstances, and the very realities of the political process that it becomes quite difficult to follow through on the statements and promises made during the campaign. There may be a few who make promises they have no intention of keeping, but most simply find that it may be quite difficult at times, due to circumstances and realities, to keep the promises they have made. Whatever the case, when it comes to politics, many will indeed often say, “promises, promises”.

This is not the case when it comes to God and the promises we find in His Word. Those who trust Christ and follow God have a heavenly Father Who will always keep His promises. He intends to do so when He makes them and He is able to do so regardless of circumstances. So we are reminded in Hebrews 10:23 that we can “Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful…” One of the great privileges we have as citizens of heaven are the great promises we have from our heavenly king. As we near the close of our study of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, we come to one of the most encouraging promises God has given us. When we grasp its truth it will certainly help keep us from wavering in our walk with Christ:

…My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

You can download the complete study HERE.

Capitol Bible Study: "The Secret of Contentment in the Capitol"

From next week's Capitol Bible Study:

Contentment is an elusive virtue. We often seek for contentment and happiness in places where it cannot be found – money, possessions, power, positions, relationships, or freedom from trials and difficulties in life. Contentment may be particularly difficult to achieve in life and work here in the capitol. There is often the ambition to gain a higher office or position of leadership. There is a great desire to win the political battles over important issues and legislation. There are often difficult circumstances and situations that threaten to rob one of contentment. Paul has encouraged the Philippian believers to “Rejoice in the Lord, always” (Philippians 4:4). Now he writes of a quality closely related to joy, that of contentment:

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13)

Download the complete study HERE.

Photo is from the cover of Puritan pastor Jeremiah Burroughs' wonderful book, "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment".

Capitol Bible Study: Godly Thinking in the Capitol

From next week's Bible study at the West Virginia statehouse, "Godly Thinking in the Capitol":

There is nothing more true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute and more excellent and worthy of praise than the person of Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel. We focus on the fact that we are all sinners against a holy God and under His wrath. We consider the truth that Jesus came and lived a perfect life of obedience and suffered and died in our place so that we might have our sins forgiven. When we understand this and repent and trust Him, then it indeed changes our thinking about everything.

Perhaps an apt closing is the prayer found in the old hymn by Kate Wilkinson:

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

You can read or download the complete study here.

Pray for our Interim Committee Meetings and Bible Studies

Every month our legislators gather in Charleston for three days of interim committee meetings. Each lawmaker is assigned to one or more committees in order to work on various issues throughout the year.

In these meetings they deal with a variety of topics, many of which will be taken up during next year’s regular session.This month's interim meetings will be held on September 12-14.

During the interim meetings, Capitol Commission provides Bible studies for our legislators and elected officials at the capitol. Our study for this month is entitled "Godly Thinking in the Capitol" from Philippians 4:8 and will be held on Tuesday, September 13. Please pray for our legislators as they gather for these meetings:

Pray for safety as they travel.

Pray for them as they take this time away from their families and jobs.

Pray for them as they deal with many issues important to our state.

Pray that our Bible study and other aspects of our ministry will be a challenge and encouragement to our leaders.

You can learn more about the legislative interim committee assignments and meetings at the West Virginia Legislature web site.

You can download the complete study HERE.